OUTPUT
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the buzzword of the moment. Integral to the UK’s Construction Strategy, with a mandate for its use on all public sector capital projects by 2016...
Virtually there Government has embarked with industry on a four year programme for sector modernisation with the key objective of: reducing capital cost and the carbon burden from the construction and operation of the built environment by 20%. Central to these ambitions is the adoption of information rich Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies, processes and collaborative behaviours. But BIM is not just about buildings, despite the title. It can be used for roads, gas pipelines, bridges, railways – any construction or civil engineering project. And it is not just about creating models. Visualisation is an important part of BIM but it is more than this. According to CIBSE at a recent ICOM meeting, the most accurate part of the BIM acronym is the ‘I’. BIM is about unlocking the power of information, thereby making it valuable knowledge. The true value of BIM is in enabling different parties to understand each other’s data which can create better informed more unified teams, where often siloed functions can see beyond their own interests to a more holistic view. Virtual designs are built in three dimensions before work proceeds on site; the attributes of all the elements of the building can be found in the model; and spatial ‘clashes’ can be identified and resolved in the model instead of on site. Design and construction documents can be produced more quickly and more effective decisions can be made at an earlier point in the design process. When you add 4D (time) and 5D (cost) information, this gives even greater opportunity for coordination, collaboration, production efficiencies and reduction in errors. The fundamental principles behind BIM are simple and there are key benefits, not just in terms of productivity efficiency and reduced costs, but also implications for health and safety. True BIM will integrate data and physical shape. Instead of drawing volumes, shapes or alignments, and attaching 14 dimensions and linked data,
there will be fully parametric self-contained units to make up the model. Each will generate their dimensions and characteristics as required for visualisations and quantities. With the use of augmented reality (AR), where digital data is overlaid on the real world, data bases can be linked and objects “know” what they are and how they relate to other objects. The potential is huge.
OUTPUT spoke to two organisations adopting BIM:
Ian Dawes, from research based consultancy WRc
To understand potential benefits, talk to Ops staff!
At a recent conference BIM was heralded as the biggest change to the construction industry in 100 years. Largely driven by alliance partners, Building Information Models are already being created in the water industry for large capital projects. However what happens to this model after construction? Will it be updated? If the full benefits of BIM are to be realised then the principles must be of benefit over the entire operational life of an asset. This will require each utility to develop a common BIM data environment which is a significant undertaking requiring software procurement, integration with existing systems, information security procedures, skills training and implementation of update processes. The required investment is substantial with the costs expected to run to tens of millions of pounds for a large utility company. Regulators are likely to view BIM as best practice for efficiently delivering services, so are unlikely to directly fund investment. To secure the required funding, a clear business case needs to be made to senior management. So what exactly are the potential savings? And how big are they?
Images courtesy of Crane
The output from recent BIM workshops identified that benefits would come from ‘a single version of the truth’ and ‘better’ operation of assets. It is important to recognise that these are enablers of value which do not represent monetary savings in their own right. Recent discussions suggest that the water industry does not currently have a clear enough definition of the operational efficiencies expected to be realised by implementing BIM. My view is that operational savings could be realised relatively quickly by reducing the number of visits to the same asset location, more rapid location of assets, and more efficient health and safety assessment processes. Sharing experiences both across industry sectors and within industries will be the quickest way to develop a robust business case. Surely the benefits should be defined in conjunction with those who will realise the value? These are field- based operational staff: a group that appears least well represented in any BIM discussions. In the water industry a sustainable BIM strategy for individual companies will be of increased benefit if it is in place at the start of AMP6. The industry should engage with operations staff in order to realise the operational efficiencies that BIM is expected to deliver. Time is ticking!
SUMMER 2014
Balfour Beatty
The Value of BIM
At Balfour Beatty, BIM is of paramount significance. Balfour Beatty adopted BIM early as they realised that a BIM environment and workflow could not only allow them to satisfy the UK Government’s requirements but also save money, reduce risk, waste and carbon footprint and increase efficiency. Cleator Waste Water Treatment Works was the first BIM project undertaken by Balfour Beatty. During this project all principles of BIM Level 2 were implemented.
FEATURE construction process and cost implications in relation to the program of works. All design reviews were conducted using the federated model in Balfour Beatty’s cutting-edge facility, the BIM C.A.V.E (Computer Aided Virtual Environment), in Cheadle Royal. This allowed the design team to cut down the use of paper drawings. The reviews also increased the level of accuracy and helped discover potential risks and design flaws. Through constructability reviews with the use of the federated model, the construction process was optimised, saving time, waste and carbon and reducing potential hazards and risks on site.
updated in real-time using ArtrA’s Field BIM functionality. This meant that the federated model and all the drawings stayed up-to-date and accurately reflected what was happening on site. The bespoke solutions Balfour Beatty created, such as Augmented Reality applications for the buried services, intelligent virtual tours for easy access to information, Unity 3D “game” environment for user friendly model walkthroughs, systems integration for gathering asset information on site real-time, etc., added value for the client but also proved to be valuable tools in the decision making process on site during construction phase.
the impact of Building Information Modelling Furthermore, various bespoke BIM solutions were created for the client and utilised to add extra value to the project in terms of efficiency, savings, accuracy and data collection. Through the use of laser scan survey, existing ground conditions and assets were captured in great detail which allowed for the accurate and precise modelling of the site. Panoramic 360 degrees photography was utilised in order to provide access to the site from the convenience of the office environment without the need to travel to site which would be inefficient and not cost effective in addition to increasing our carbon footprint.
All data was verified and gathered in the Asset Management solution, Amtech’s ArtrA, which allowed the teams to collaborate more effectively and monitor the design changes in real time in addition to observing the construction status. The gathering of data was continued from site during the construction phase which ensured that the existing office model was
Loukas Mitsou, BIM Manager for Balfour Beatty’s Gas & Water business unit, confirms the benefits of BIM: “With the use of BIM, we realised 20% comparative design time savings, risk prevention and elimination, which resulted in money and risk savings, and optimisation of the construction sequence which returned savings in money, time, risk and carbon.”
Using the latest BIM authoring tools, new assets and all works that were to be undertaken on site were designed, tested and modelled. All optioneering was digitally conducted, which optimised the design and functionality. Clash detections were run in order to avoid costly design errors. Vehicle movements were optimised with swept path analysis tools. Finally, 4D (construction sequence) and 5D (cost simulations) animations were created for better understanding of the Images courtesy of Balfour Beatty
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